Overview
- Deloitte’s 2026 survey finds only 7% of U.S. consumers want their next car to be an EV, while 61% prefer a combustion engine.
- Top barriers include driving range (47%), charging time (44%), and higher prices (40%), with many shoppers targeting sub-$35,000 vehicles.
- U.S. EV deliveries fell in 2025; Tesla’s Q4 output dropped 16% from Q3 and full-year deliveries declined 9%, a slide partly tied to the federal tax credit’s expiration.
- Policy shifts under President Trump and a Republican-led Congress have rolled back many EV-friendly incentives and regulations, pushing the market toward consumer-driven outcomes.
- Automakers are retrenching toward plug-in hybrids and EREVs—Ford scrapped the all-electric F-150 Lightning in favor of an EREV—while analysts expect 2026 sales to be flat or slightly lower despite new EV launches in limited volumes.